Diary Friday

So it’s Good Friday. I found an Easter Sunday entry in my journal from sophomore year in high school, and while it is relatively embarrassing to me – I will post it here now.

April 1983

I went over to Mere’s on Saturday to see her perm. That whole family is hysterical. They always welcome me. I went over and Jayne brought me in and the dogs went crazy. Mere was still up in her room, so Jayne took me up the backstairs because there were customers in the hall. Mr. W. is a photographer. The back stairs were pitch-black and creaky, and Jayne whispered, “Doesn’t it feel like we’re Nancy Drew right now?” It did!

At the top, I began to slink around the hall, pretending I had a gun. (Obviously, I feel very at home in their house.) I banged on Mere’s door and yelled, “POLICE. OPEN UP.” (not realizing that there were customers below us.) I went in and there stood Mere in the middle of her room in her nightgown and her hair!! I don’t know what I envisioned when she first told me – but not what I saw. It looks EXCELLENT and very natural. I squealed and ran over to her and started rumpling up her curls – they looked bouncy and cute, and like her hair had been like that forever. For some reason, I had pictured a frizzy Afro or something, because she told me on the phone that it stuck out “2 miles” from her head. I think Mere exaggerated slightly, because it looked really good.

We went downstairs to show my mom who had come in to talk to Mrs. W. We then all sat around and talked about haircuts and college. [Ed: I love that.] Jayne got accepted at EVERY COLLEGE SHE APPLIED TO. [Sheila, please stop screaming.] Jayne at college!! GOD!

Later that day I watched “Butterflies are Free”. Goldie Hawn is, I believe, my idol. I swear. She does everything and seems happy. Acts, sings, dances, is hilarious, has two children, knows Chevy Chase [Ed: To me, that was her greatest quality, apparently], and controls her own life. I would love to be able to do it all. I do want a family. I think I’d like to have a boy first. Then maybe another boy, and then a little girl for the boys to protect. [Ed: So much for all the hard work of the feminists in the generation before mine.] I also would like to have a gorgeous, smart, funny husband. (Not in that order, particularly. In terms of importance, “gorgeous” would come last.) I’ll have some kind of career. I’ll choose a career over having a husband, if I have to. That’s for sure. Chauvinism is my #1 pet peeve. I despise it. Man, I’d show ’em what women can do! POW. [Ed: And yet you think your daughter needs older brothers to “protect” her….Hmmmm….]

It rained on Easter the next day. Bummer.

So we found our Easter baskets and eggs. I had decorated my purple egg with the words “Jimmy Dean”. [Ed: HAHAHAHA] When we found them, we all sat around and looked through them, and ate some candy … We were all being careful of what we said around Siobhan, cause she still believes in the Easter you-know-what. I guess the Easter Bunny had hid a present for the whole family and then couldn’t remember where he put it. Mum said, “Well, the Easter Bunny can’t remember where he hid it, but I’ll ask him” and Brendan said, “See Siobhan, Mum is a friend of the Easter Bunny–” And then Jean went, “As a matter of fact—” and then stopped. I exploded into hysterics. Just the way she said it! Seated on the floor, surrounded by candy: “As a matter of fact—”

A policeman dropped by to ask us if we knew anything about kids with BB guns who had shot a window. Me and Mum were standing in the kitchen and Siobhan came in and informed us, “There’s a police out there” and Mum looked at me, and I said, “I confess. Whatever it is, I confess.”

Then we went to mass.

After mass, we drove up to Mummy Gina’s. [Ed: My grandmother] On the way up I started a new story that I’m going to send into the “17” writing contest. At Mummy Gina’s, Tom was there, and Terry and Diane with little Matthew who can walk now! [Ed: “Little Matthew” is now a 6 foot tall man. Scary.] What a doll! We stayed for about an hour and a half, watching MTV. [Ed: MTV was still this huge novelty then, obviously, and my family didn’t get cable until … oh .. last year? No, just kidding.]

Then we drove over to Mama’s [Ed: My other grandmother] and the Sullivans were there. Lisa [Ed: my cousin] is a nut. The girl is positively insane. She is CRAZY. I can not even speak when I am with her because all I do is laugh.

After the Sully’s left, Kathleen and I found this closetful of hysterical shoes and strutted around in them, laughing.

Then, Susan [Ed: These are all cousins] came home from work and she looked gorgeous. She was wearing this dress that looked like it came out of 17 magazine. [Ed: Praise indeed] It had all these stripes of kind of dull colors, and a slanted waist, and a full skirt. We had a great time.

Susan and I made sandwiches, and then sat around talking about General Hospital. We laughed UPROARIOUSLY about Dr. Dante, and we both adore Blackie Parrish.

The ride home was in the dark, but I held up the book I’m reading so I could see it in the headlights of the car behind us.

When we got home, it was 9:21, to be exact, and I TORE into the house to see “The Sting” – which had started at 9. We hadn’t missed much. [Ed: I had seen the movie many many times, knew it by heart.] Paul hadn’t even come on yet. [Ed: Ah yes, on a first name basis with Paul Newman] Paul — AND Robert — on the screen together — honestly, it is just too much. Paul, in the movie, always wears overalls, and a sleeveless T, and a fedora, and OHHHH he just looks exquisite. Perfect.

I kind of want to be a con man, actually.